Book Reviews from a Book Lover

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Monthly Archives: June 2016

I have been seriously remise in my book reading, but not apparently in my book buying. So, naturally, what has happened is that from Spring-Summer I have amassed a TBR list to rival even the largest procrastinator. Some of these are new purchases, some are library books (damn D.C. for allowing me to have them for essentially 20 weeks!), and some are pre-orders. At this point I have had so little time to read that I’ve stopped requesting ARCs, which then causes a ripple effect of me buying the book and it collecting dust. On that note, this Top Ten Tuesday, as sponsored by The Broke and Bookish features Top Ten Books I need to Read this Summer.

1. Flawed by Cecelia Ahern: I purchased this at a signing and was exciting to read this after hearing the author talk about it, but alas, time.

2. Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan: Ditto #1

3. The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood: Ditto #1

(Do we see a pattern here? I have impulse control issues. )

4. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas: Probably my most anticipated book of the Spring and I let myself get intimidated by its size. I’m beginning this one next, promise.

5. The Wrath and Dawn by Renee Ahdieh: I heard her speak at YALLFEST and she was so passionate that I grabbed this like ASAP and then let it sit cause I suck.

6. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard: I blame myself for this one. I read an early review and stopped 5 chapters in without giving it a chance. I never refuse to finish, so I’ll get to it and probably be mad at myself.

7. Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge: Read “Cruel Beauty” a few months ago and LOVED it. Hope this one is just as good.

9. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendra Blake: Okay, I know this one is super late, but I never really gave it more than a glance despite the hype surrounding it. When I heard there is possibly going to be a movie, I grabbed it thinking ‘what the hell.’

10. Gabriel by Nikki Kelly: This was an impulse purchase. I’ll admit it, so I haven’t really had the heart to crack it open.

So there it is, my list–and trust me this is small fries compared to what there actually is. Anyone have any thoughts about what I should read next, or what should make it into my Fall tbr?

Synopsis: “Aerity…” Her father paused as if the words he was forming pained him. “I must ask you to sacrifice the promise of love for the sake of our kingdom.”

She could only stare back, frozen.

When a strange beast terrorizes the kingdom of Lochlanach, fear stirs revolt. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger…until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. There’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast—but the princess continues to surprise him, and the perilous secrets he’s buried begin to surface.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom.

I had really, really high expectations for this book, so naturally, I put off reading it till I could give it my full time and attention. I’m a huge Wendy Higgins fan. In fact, she was the first book signing I ever went to and she was just so lovely and kind. Her Sweet series is one of my favorite and possibly the first book I formally reviewed on here. That’s why it’s so hard for me to wrap my head around “The Great Hunt.” It’s not that I didn’t like it, as you’ll see below, it definitely has high points for me, but it just didn’t have that same essence that I felt in the Sweet trilogy, so it fell a little flat for me. Below, is the breakdown.

What I liked: Very few people can write relationships as effectively as Higgins can. In every book of hers that I have read, the relationships between the characters is what draws me in and keeps me interested. In this case, I wanted more Paxton and Aerity. Not only did I love reading about them together, but the way they thought about each other was captivating. Paxton=major hottie but I got the sense that Aerity wanted what she couldn’t have while also falling in love with the whole ‘bad boy, good soul.’ We’ve all been there girl! This relationship has a slow, slow burn. The character’s really only have one semi-steamy interaction, but as someone who loves the build up more than the actual relationship, I was down.

What I didn’t like: Parts of this read more like a New Adult novel rather than a Young Adult High Fantasy, and I’m not even talking sexy, fun times stuff. Something about this just didn’t particularly gel High Fantasy for me. One, Aerity’s family was to lovey dovey. No one marries for anything other than love, yea, okay. Then there’s this whole “My mom is a Queen but used to be in the circus thing.” Again, surrre. Frankly, I just felt like there was a lot of unnecessary stuff and it was especially bad because it wasn’t genre specific. I think this would have worked better had it been set in modern-times with maybe a supernatural twist/ element.

Overall, it was okay. Good relationships but felt off for a High Fantasy. 3/5

Lochlanach has traded the great beast for something far more terrible, a Lashed enemy veiled in beauty, deception, and a vengeance passed down through generations: Rozaria Rocato. And she’s offering the hunter Paxton Seabolt power and acceptance he could never receive in his homeland. Pax must decide how far he’s willing to go under her tutelage, knowing she is the opponent of Princess Aerity Lochson.

In a land where traditionalists dread change, the Lochlan throne must contend with mysterious foes and traitors, while attempting to keep revolt at bay. As dire circumstances strike the royal family, matters of the castle are left in Aerity’s hands. It’s time to put aside her fears and grasp the reign, taking actions that have the potential to save or destroy her people.

One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continue. In this sequel to The Great Hunt from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, political intrigue and romance intensify in another thrilling fantasy. Princess Aerity embraces a quest for identity and passion before making the ultimate sacrifice for her kingdom.

They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.

But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.

In these last days, Earth’s remaining survivors will need to decide what’s more important: saving themselves…or saving what makes us human.

Schools out for the summer and I’m back with a review for the book that signals the end of one of my favorite series. I was damn lucky to get a whoopsie early copy (thanks Barnes and Noble for stacking these out about a week early) and have not been able to wait to write this review. I’ve got major thoughts on this one.

What I liked: I’m not going to spoil the ending, but I will say that everything is not tied up into a nice, neat little bow. Things still mostly suck and I’m okay with that. What I enjoyed most about this series was Yancey’s willingness to play towards reality. People die in war and this was the definition of warfare. Throughout the series he has depicted some brutal deaths and if the ending had come and everything was green grass, lollipops, and cotton candy I would have been pissed. Things still suck. They just happen to suck less. My favorite character in this installment had to be Nugget/ Sam. For the first two books I felt like he was more of a tertiary character rather than a major player in his own right; he was the thing that brought Casey, Ben, and really even Evan together. In this last installment, Yancey really focuses on the effects the apocalypse has had on his development. Sam is at a crucial age and the fact that Yancey not only recognized that but also used it to his advantage speaks volumes towards my love for this series. Sure, not everything that is written can be based in reality–I mean we are talking alien apocalypse here–but the effects of war and the toll it takes is crushingly real, especially in the last book when 90% of the characters we started with are either already dead or heading that way.

What I didn’t like: Still mega confused. Are there aliens or are these really just humans wiping out the planet. The explanation was extremely difficult for me to grasp. Not sure if I didn’t read closely enough (totally possible since I decided to read the last chapter first and screwed myself mega), if it was meant to be vague, or if I’m just dumb.

Overall, this was a great series and a great finale. Yancey shows that you can tie the story together successfully without everything having to go back to the way it was. The world is still screwed but hopefully are remaining characters will find a way to live in it successfully. 4/5